News for New Kent County and Charles City County, Virginia | April 6, 2026
Local News
Charles City School Board adopts FY2021-22 budget
Charles City County’s School Board adopted its FY2021-22 budget Tuesday evening. School leaders adopted the $10,726,611 budget for the upcoming cycle. Of that amount, approximately $6,018,997 consists of local contribution. At Charles City County’s Board of Supervisors May meeting, county leaders designated $5,504,573 of funding for the schools. In addition to the level funding amount, they added $182,171 to provide five percent raises for all SOQ (Standards of Quality) employees, $201,897 to pay the differential of savings in the school’s ABM energy performance contract, and $130,356 for other Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) projects.
Richmond man successfully completes First Offender Program; New Kent charge dismissed
A Richmond man has had a charge of possession of a controlled substance dismissed after successfully completing the First Offender Program. Gilberto Antonio Irizarry Belbrut, 32, of the 2600 block of Granite Hill Circle, received the formal verdict during Monday morning proceedings in New Kent Circuit Court. On Mar. 2, 2019, a New Kent deputy conducted a traffic stop that was driven by the defendant. Belbrut did not have an active license and the vehicle was towed. When the deputy began to conduct inventory of the vehicle, he discovered a white powdery brick of substance inside of a lunch box,…
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New Kent School Board adopts $38 million operating budget for FY2021-22
New Kent County Public Schools adopted its FY2021-2022 budget at Monday night’s regular board meeting. The school’s operating budget will be $38,606,920 for the upcoming school year. Of that amount, $35,651,319 is designated for the general fund, $203,768 for the textbook fund, $1,251,806 for the nutrition fund, and $1,500,027 of grant funding. As part of the adoption in efforts to balance the budget, recommendations were made to reduce to a conservative estimate for the Average Daily Membership (ADM) in the amount of $259,576, reduce workers compensation coverage based on recent renewal from VACORP ($23,162), reduce budgeted FICA contributions ($16,553), reduce…
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McBeath receives nod to serve as interim District 5 representative on New Kent’s School Board
New Kent’s School Board has appointed Molly McBeath as the interim District 5 representative. The decision was made at Monday night’s regular school board meeting. McBeath will replace the late Dr. Gail Hardinge in representing District 5. McBeath was among six candidates vying to be appointed to the vacancy. After being selected as a finalist along with Thomas Miller, Miller conceded to McBeath, saying that she would make a great representative for District 5 on the county’s school board. It only took the remaining board members 40 minutes to make the appointment, with McBeath’s term officially beginning June 14. McBeath…
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Jury finds Providence Forge man not guilty for alleged sex crimes against a minor
A Providence Forge man has been found not guilty on sex crimes against a minor after a jury’s findings in a two-day trial held in Charles City Circuit Court. Ethan White-Cook had been charged with two counts of sexual penetration with an object against a minor, and one count each of aggravated sexual battery against a minor and sodomy against a minor. Three of the allegations stemmed from July 3, 2020, while the fourth stemmed from May 20, 2011. The allegations said that White-Cook had committed the acts against the minor, but prosecution was unable to prove those facts to…
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New Jersey man dies in motorcycle accident on Interstate 64 in New Kent
A New Jersey man has died as the result of a May 25 motorcycle accident in New Kent County. John H. Wagner, 65, of Glassboro, New Jersey, succumbed to his injuries according to a Virginia State Police report. A preliminary investigation reveals that around 1:24 p.m., Virginia State Police responded to a crash on Interstate 64 westbound near mile marker 213. The report states that a 1998 Harley motorcycle was headed west on the ramp to the rest area when it ran off the road to the left. Wagner, the driver and sole occupant of the motorcycle, passed away at…
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New Kent supervisors adopt $80 million budget for FY2021-22
New Kent supervisors adopted the FY2021-22 budget Wednesday morning during their monthly work session. County leaders adopted the $80,711,106 budget for the upcoming year. Of that amount, $38,406,920 will be allocated to county schools, which is approximately 47 percent of the budget. The real estate tax will remain at 79 cents per $100 of assessed value, which is no change from the current fiscal year. The budget also includes a two-cent increase to the meals tax, which was highly debated at the May 10 board meeting. An increase of $3,695,824 in the general revenue will be allocated to cost-of-living raises…
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Charles City leaders give additional funds for school raises, instructs school board to use them properly
The past few weeks have been a whirlwind surrounding providing raises for Charles City school employees. The comments exchanged between the county’s board of supervisors and county school leaders have led to questions about the responsibility of providing funding for the pay increases. Charles City supervisors hope that after adopting the FY2021-22 budget that school leaders will make sure their staff receive a five-percent increase. After County Administrator Michelle Johnson revised her budget based on directives from county leaders, Charles City supervisors passed the $17,926,155 local budget 2-0-1 with newly elected District 3 supervisor Byron Adkins Sr. abstaining from the…
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Adkins appointed District 3 supervisor of Charles City County
Byron Adkins Sr. has been appointed as the District 3 supervisor for Charles City County. Charles City leaders selected Adkins among seven applications received. After conducting interviews on May 20, Adkins was officially sworn in as the District 3 representative Monday morning. Adkins will occupy the seat vacated by former supervisor Lewis Black III, who announced his resignation in April. “I am honored to join Charles City County’s Board of Supervisors,” Adkins said in a press release. “I believe it is important to have successful continuity of governance with the board, and my goal is to serve the interests of…
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Charles City leaders support raises, but emphasizes public to research school finances
A May 20 public hearing on Charles City County’s proposed FY2021-22 budget garnered attention after comments and information surrounding proposed raises for county educators hit the forefront. Charles City leaders took a heads-on approach on the issue after the public spoke. At issue were comments made by members of Charles City School’s Board May 11 meeting that an expected shortfall and lack of financial support from county leaders would result in several school employees leaving for better compensation. Two days later at the first portion of the county’s board of supervisors public hearing on the budget, County Administrator Michelle Johnson’s…
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